Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Social Entrepreneurship 101: 5 ways to Avoid NonProfit overload!

Organizations in Africa need to find better ways to leverage and share resources with each other. A common issue that is ongoing is the formation of multiple nonprofits. This I think takes us further away from our goal in strengthening our communities because it doesn't allow for combined efforts to tackle large problems. With the rise of numerous social enterprises, nonprofits by young people such as myself, I thought it would be good to offer some tips on how you can still make change without having to start up yet another nonprofit.  Here are a few tips:

1. Speak with people in the field you are interested in and do research on what are the needs in the areas you are interested in. Look for organizations that are making change your area of interest, if an organization already exists, join them as long as you agree with their credibility and the work of that organization, there is no need for you to start your own, in my opinion.

2. Attend events of organizations that are doing similar work that you are interested in and make connections with key people who will be able to support you once you launch your organization.

3. Volunteer with an organization of interest for atleast 6 months and develop relationships in the field you want to start a nonprofit in.

4. Get on the board of a nonprofit. Being on the board of nonprofits allows you to meet people but also gives you a good sense of how organizations operate, and what type of board you would want to put together.

5.  Plan an event such as a brunch, breakfast, barbeque and bring like minded people together and present your idea to them almost like a "pitch" and have them contribute to helping you shape your vision.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Gaye! much appreciated! Truly believe that there are too many non for profits working on similar issues. We have to find better ways to work together by joining efforts and not re-inventing the wheel so much.

    ReplyDelete

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